Postdoctoral Fellowships
Closing date for this Programme is 9th September 2026.
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) offer the opportunity for researchers holding a PhD to secure their own funding via Postdoctoral Fellowships to carry out their research activities abroad, acquire new skills and develop their careers. Postdoctoral Fellowships help researchers gain experience in other countries, disciplines and non-academic sectors.
All areas of research are covered by the MSCA, including STEM subjects, the social sciences, humanities, economic sciences, and research areas covered by the Euratom Research and Training Programme.
There are two types of Postdoctoral Fellowship:
Providing an opportunity for researchers to broaden their horizons by working at a research organisation in Europe, with a view to acquiring new skills or working in new sectors.
- The European Fellowships are open to researchers either moving within Europe or coming to Europe. These fellowships take place in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.
- The researcher must comply with the mobility rule: they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline.
- Project duration is between 12 and 24 months.
- Researchers of any nationality can apply.
- Typical Fellowship Budget ~ €85,000 per annum.
Facilitating European researchers to acquire new knowledge and skills by working outside Europe for a time, then to transfer that knowledge back into Europe.
- For Researchers moving from Europe (a Member State or Horizon Europe Associated country) to a country outside, followed by a return period back in Europe.
- The researcher must comply with the mobility rule: they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the host organisation, for the outgoing phase, for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline.
- Project Duration is 24 to 36 months (including a mandatory 12-month reintegration period back to Europe after the completion of the outgoing stay).
- Only nationals or long-term residents of the EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries can apply.
- Typical Fellowship Budget ~ €85,000 per annum.
For eligibility and budget criteria please see the current Work Programme on the European Commission Research and Innovation website.
Case studies and webinars covering all aspects of MSCA are available here: MSCA ResourcesMSCA Resources
When applying to MSCA the Work Programme should be first source of information.
Details of all Calls, including deadlines, application documentation, may be found on the Funding and Tender opportunities portal and also the European Commission’s MSCA website.
The main activity of a Postdoctoral Fellowship is a research training project, aimed at supporting the researcher’s career and fostering excellence in research. The proposal is developed by the researcher in collaboration with their host organisation and designed to provide training through research. An integral part of the fellowship is training in complementary and transferable skills, for example, research management, intellectual property rights, entrepreneurship, public engagement, inter-sectoral or interdisciplinary knowledge transfer, building collaborations, and organisational skills.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to incorporate a secondment to another organisation into their fellowship plans. Ideally this secondment should be to an organisation in another sector e.g. a researcher carrying out a fellowship at a university might consider a secondment in the public or private sector, a NGO, a museum or other appropriate organisation.
Applicants can also add an optional non-academic placement period as part of their proposal, provided the placement is in line with the project objectives and adds significant value and/or impact to the fellowship. The placement must be with a non-academic organisation (e.g. NGO, company, charity etc) which is based in an EU Member State or Associated Country. A non-academic placement takes place after the standard duration of the fellowship and can be up to a period of 6 months in length.
An organisation can participate as a Beneficiary or a Associated Partner:
- Beneficiaries participate fully in the network, recruiting and training researchers and receiving a portion of the project budget to fund the full costs of this participation.
- Associated Partners do not recruit researchers, but get involved in training activities (for example, hosting researchers who are on secondment, contributing to training events): Associated Partners do not receive funds from the project budget, but can reclaim eligible participation costs from one of the Beneficiaries.